Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-11-03
FOOD FOR CATTLE
Advantages and Disadvantages ofFeeding
Linseed and CSttoa-Seed Meal

FOOD FOR CATTLE.
Advantages and Disadvantages ofFeeding
Linseed and CStssa-Seed Meal
Linseed oil meal is now made by
what is known as the new process, or
by extracting the oil by means of
benzine, or naphtha, by which the oil
is practically all removed from the
seed. The old process Of pressure be-
tween heated plates left eleven TO
fourteen per cent of oil in the residue.
AS linseed oil has a laxative and most
excellent effect upon the digestive
organs. so the old process meal was
useful food for fattening cattle; but
was not a desirable food for dairy
COWS on account of the result on the
butter, which was white, soft. greasy
and of a fiat. oily flavor. The new
process meal is free from some Of the
Objectionable features of the old pro-
cess meal, and to some extent is useful
in diaries, but after frequent attempts
to use it with satisfaction, we aban-
doned it in favor of cOtton-secd meal
At thirty dollars per ton-its present
value it is much dearer than several
other foods. which are preferable in
other ways, as well as for their cheap
ness.
Cotton-seed meal, when used in mod
eration, is very useful food for dairy
COWS. 1t is the reverse of laxative,
and tends rather to costiveness. This,
however, gives it an especial value
when cows are upon grass, or when it
is mixed with bran. When it was first
introduced in the Northern States as
food for cows, twelve years or more
ago, it was sold at eighteen dollars per
ton. and was an exceedingly cheap
food. Since then it has become widely
popular, and has advanced in value
fifty per cent Still, for the nutriment
contained in it, it is yet cheap, being
valued for its nutritive elements at
forty-six dollars per ton, as compared
with the best clover hay at twenty dol
lars per ton. 1t is very rich in nitrog-
enous substances, and is consequently
an unsafe food for cows, if fed to ex-
cess. The meal has decidedly in
flammatOry effect upon the milk glands,
and, therefore, is to be used only in
very moderate quantities. We have
fed it to cows from four pounds daily
down to one pound, and while feeding
two pounds daily, with twice as much
bran and corn meal, the butter prod
uct of a cow experimental upon ran
up to two pounds daily. When four
pounds daily was fed, with the same
quantity of corn meal and bran. the
yield of butter was only 1.S3 pounds
per day for few days. when an attack
of garget was brought on, and for
fourteen days afterward the yield
was less than pound. AS this result
happened frequently with other cows
in the dairy. and hired men could
scarcely be restrained from using too
much of it, and fine litter of Berk-
shire pigs were sacrificed to this
temptation to feed the meal to excess,
its use was discarded. With one pound
only, used with twice the quantity of
corn meal and bran for single ration.
cotton-seed meal may be used safely;
but as any excess over that is apt to be
Injurious, it is advisable to mix the
feed in bulk. so that the ration can not
be exceeded by any accident. This
meal gives high color, great solidity,
a fine waxy texture and rich, nutty
favor to the butter; the latter fact
seems to corrobOrate the belief that
the oils of the food really 90 into the
milk unchanged through the digestive
organs. in which they are emulsitied.
and thence are discharged into the
milk.
As the digestibility of food is real
~ the measure of its value. it is most
important part of the dairyman's bust
ness to make careful tests. in his dairy
of the effects of foods in regard to the
quantity and quality of the product.
Animals differ very much in respect of
their digestive ability. Some cows
will make a very fair profit from the
same food upon which another COW
will make serious loss. and these re-
suits. vital to the interests of the
owner. can only be ascertained by
most careful and repeated tests
american 4griculturist.
~
a Good Water.Sroof